WEBVTT 00:00:04.969 --> 00:00:07.429 So the reason why I called the sermon series 00:00:07.429 --> 00:00:11.550 Hidden Treasures is because there's one kind 00:00:11.550 --> 00:00:15.150 of hidden theme throughout these three chapters 00:00:15.150 --> 00:00:18.829 of Zephaniah. Again, a very minor prophet. Again, 00:00:18.910 --> 00:00:20.510 minor, major, only having to do with kind of 00:00:20.510 --> 00:00:23.309 the size of the books in the scriptures. But 00:00:23.309 --> 00:00:27.410 we are in the end. We are coming to the end of 00:00:27.410 --> 00:00:31.280 Zephaniah. But this hidden treasure, this theme 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:35.460 that seems to be in all of kind of the woe to 00:00:35.460 --> 00:00:37.820 all of you, and not woe in a good way, but woe 00:00:37.820 --> 00:00:40.000 is in watch out what's coming, or it's coming, 00:00:40.119 --> 00:00:44.259 or whatever, is hope. And hope is a very interesting 00:00:44.259 --> 00:00:47.320 thing. Because when I say the word hope, a lot 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:50.399 of things can come out in us kind of emotionally 00:00:50.399 --> 00:00:52.899 or intellectually. You know, we have this hope 00:00:52.899 --> 00:00:55.640 of whatever. we could go through and have every 00:00:55.640 --> 00:00:57.719 one of you say, what are some things that you 00:00:57.719 --> 00:01:00.179 hope for? And the answers would be drastically 00:01:00.179 --> 00:01:03.799 different. But the thing that Zephaniah is putting 00:01:03.799 --> 00:01:06.599 in here toward the end, and I think he's hitting 00:01:06.599 --> 00:01:10.200 it in a very, very intentional way, is there's 00:01:10.200 --> 00:01:14.159 a profound hope in the words of the message he's 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:20.560 giving. Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you, God. 00:01:22.089 --> 00:01:25.370 But understand that there is not only a hope 00:01:25.370 --> 00:01:28.909 to his message, there has been hope even through 00:01:28.909 --> 00:01:33.170 discipline. So I want to start there this morning. 00:01:33.290 --> 00:01:35.609 When you were growing up, or maybe even now, 00:01:35.750 --> 00:01:38.609 and you were, quote unquote, disciplined by a 00:01:38.609 --> 00:01:41.069 parent, a grandparent, aunt, uncle, what have 00:01:41.069 --> 00:01:43.150 you. Again, we're not going to go through what 00:01:43.150 --> 00:01:45.890 all the different variety of levels of discipline 00:01:45.890 --> 00:01:48.810 or intensity or verbal or physical or whatever 00:01:48.810 --> 00:01:52.140 is. Did you ever think there was hope in that? 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:56.159 That when you knew that you were going, mom says 00:01:56.159 --> 00:01:58.420 just wait until your dad gets home. Did you ever 00:01:58.420 --> 00:02:03.120 feel a sense of hope with that? Anybody? No. 00:02:03.180 --> 00:02:04.819 Some of you are shaking your head right away. 00:02:04.859 --> 00:02:06.739 Some of you are looking right at your dad and 00:02:06.739 --> 00:02:10.360 making it awkward. But understand that There 00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:12.919 is hope in discipline, and it's not necessarily 00:02:12.919 --> 00:02:16.099 for those getting disciplined. It's hope for 00:02:16.099 --> 00:02:18.460 the one doing the discipline. What do you think 00:02:18.460 --> 00:02:21.520 I mean by that? That if you are the parent or 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:24.340 the disciplinarian, and you have an air of hope 00:02:24.340 --> 00:02:26.580 to you, what do you think I mean by that? That 00:02:26.580 --> 00:02:29.460 there's hope in the way that you dole out the 00:02:29.460 --> 00:02:32.520 discipline. Anyone want to give it a shout? Give 00:02:32.520 --> 00:02:35.400 it a try? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. A lot 00:02:35.400 --> 00:02:38.360 of disciplinarians over here, okay? Nikki, go 00:02:38.360 --> 00:02:41.740 ahead. That will cause positive change. We pray 00:02:41.740 --> 00:02:44.599 for all of those in Nikki's classes, that that 00:02:44.599 --> 00:02:46.759 is kind of her understanding. We had Melanie, 00:02:46.860 --> 00:02:50.740 right? A change of behavior, right? Because if 00:02:50.740 --> 00:02:52.419 you're going to continue to discipline and you 00:02:52.419 --> 00:02:54.599 get the same result, that's not discipline with 00:02:54.599 --> 00:02:56.680 hope. That's actually a definition of insanity, 00:02:57.039 --> 00:03:00.020 right? That insanity's definition is what? Does 00:03:00.020 --> 00:03:06.580 anyone want to take a stab? What is it? Yeah, 00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:08.800 doing the same thing over and over, but expecting 00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:12.199 different results, right? And so you may think 00:03:12.199 --> 00:03:14.340 about, wait, that's the definition of insanity? 00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:19.020 I'm insane, right? Happy Memorial Day. Welcome 00:03:19.020 --> 00:03:20.979 to Muncher Church. Take that with you. That's 00:03:20.979 --> 00:03:23.300 between you and you and you and God. But understand 00:03:23.300 --> 00:03:29.389 that the discipline is actually hopeful. That 00:03:29.389 --> 00:03:31.810 we all would agree, Zephaniah has had heavy messages 00:03:31.810 --> 00:03:36.030 of judgment and darkness because of God's wrath. 00:03:37.330 --> 00:03:39.449 We don't like that word, but that's part of that. 00:03:39.509 --> 00:03:42.030 That God's justice, God's wrath, that God is 00:03:42.030 --> 00:03:46.169 a just -filled God and hopes that we would live 00:03:46.169 --> 00:03:49.830 the same way. In this last message, he puts a 00:03:49.830 --> 00:03:53.009 little bow on it. We now hear a message of hope, 00:03:53.129 --> 00:03:56.590 restoration, and promise. We're actually invited 00:03:56.590 --> 00:04:03.240 to sing. Today. I love, and this is just how 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:05.479 the Lord works, and Evan, you will be my testimony 00:04:05.479 --> 00:04:08.120 to this, did you and I talk about doing that 00:04:08.120 --> 00:04:11.979 song during the offertory this week? Not at all. 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:16.000 I wanted to, I wrote a post -it note to myself 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:18.959 to ask the worship committee to do it, and I 00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:22.720 completely forgot. Yet they put it in there anyway. 00:04:23.830 --> 00:04:26.329 Not because they can read my mind. Well, maybe 00:04:26.329 --> 00:04:29.129 some of them can. But understand that that to 00:04:29.129 --> 00:04:32.250 me is just a God thing. That song, It Is Well 00:04:32.250 --> 00:04:35.189 or Peace Like a River, however you know it, is 00:04:35.189 --> 00:04:40.470 exactly the heart of this sermon today. That 00:04:40.470 --> 00:04:43.269 we are invited to sing along even in the midst 00:04:43.269 --> 00:04:47.110 of hell on earth because of the hope God gives 00:04:47.110 --> 00:04:50.459 to his people. There's a triumphant promise here, 00:04:50.540 --> 00:04:54.259 and he wants us to not only engage, we are commanded 00:04:54.259 --> 00:04:57.939 to sing. How many of you think that you have 00:04:57.939 --> 00:05:00.120 an average to above average voice in singing? 00:05:01.879 --> 00:05:04.399 Clearly there's no humility there, but understand 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:07.459 that that's a gift. Some people have the gift 00:05:07.459 --> 00:05:10.300 of singing. How many of you know you don't have 00:05:10.300 --> 00:05:12.740 the gift of singing? Those hands went up way 00:05:12.740 --> 00:05:16.600 too fast. And it was about 90 % of our church. 00:05:16.879 --> 00:05:19.819 Sorry, worship committee. But understand, it's 00:05:19.819 --> 00:05:22.300 a joyful noise, and that's what we love. But 00:05:22.300 --> 00:05:25.819 understand that the command to sing, why do we 00:05:25.819 --> 00:05:29.319 sing in life? Right? When do you find yourself 00:05:29.319 --> 00:05:33.120 singing the most in life? In your day -to -day? 00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:36.100 What? I was looking more for place, but okay. 00:05:36.279 --> 00:05:39.139 But when Joel's happy, he sings. That's fantastic. 00:05:39.220 --> 00:05:43.560 Anyone else? In the car, absolutely. With other 00:05:43.560 --> 00:05:47.939 people there? A lot of you are like, no, by myself. 00:05:48.139 --> 00:05:50.899 Or the voices in my head. And just understand 00:05:50.899 --> 00:05:53.319 that we do that in the car. Anywhere else do 00:05:53.319 --> 00:05:56.920 we sing? Okay, weirdos. You don't have to say 00:05:56.920 --> 00:05:58.920 that one out loud. We all thought it. But the 00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:02.040 shower, sure. Singing in the shower. Okay? Anywhere 00:06:02.040 --> 00:06:09.379 else? Thank you. Gosh. Made it third. And so 00:06:09.379 --> 00:06:12.019 we'll work on it. But understand, we sing here. 00:06:12.120 --> 00:06:15.100 Why? Because the scriptures tell us to sing. 00:06:15.740 --> 00:06:19.259 Sing to the Lord. The creation's already doing 00:06:19.259 --> 00:06:22.680 it. We should be doing it as well. But singing 00:06:22.680 --> 00:06:25.779 can be very intimate. Singing can be very awkward. 00:06:26.199 --> 00:06:30.399 Singing can bring about the joy of a moment. 00:06:31.939 --> 00:06:36.470 Or... And I'll liken this to 2019. That same 00:06:36.470 --> 00:06:39.430 song that we sung that gives me hope of God with 00:06:39.430 --> 00:06:41.850 what Zephaniah is saying brought my family and 00:06:41.850 --> 00:06:44.589 I comfort as we're singing that song at the end 00:06:44.589 --> 00:06:48.509 of my sister's funeral. Isn't it funny what songs 00:06:48.509 --> 00:06:50.810 can do when put in the right time? You want to 00:06:50.810 --> 00:06:54.829 see the power of it, just YouTube different parts 00:06:54.829 --> 00:06:57.959 of movies that are put to different songs. And 00:06:57.959 --> 00:06:59.699 it's just, it's hilarious how they do it. How 00:06:59.699 --> 00:07:02.879 music really makes a moment in a movie or in 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:06.019 a play or whatever really, really hit. You put 00:07:06.019 --> 00:07:09.100 the wrong one in there and it totally messes 00:07:09.100 --> 00:07:13.000 it up. But this rejoicing that we are being called 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:15.420 to. We are first and foremost, starting with 00:07:15.420 --> 00:07:18.660 verse 14, called to rejoice in God's restoration. 00:07:19.319 --> 00:07:22.339 Right? Rejoicing in God's restoration. And we're 00:07:22.339 --> 00:07:25.259 going to jump to, we're in chapter 3, verse 14. 00:07:28.269 --> 00:07:30.709 Where Zephaniah writes, sing aloud, O daughter 00:07:30.709 --> 00:07:34.569 of Zion. Shout, O Israel. Rejoice and exalt with 00:07:34.569 --> 00:07:36.889 your heart. O daughter of Jerusalem, the Lord 00:07:36.889 --> 00:07:39.189 has taken away the judgments against you. He 00:07:39.189 --> 00:07:41.670 has cleared away your enemies. The king of Israel, 00:07:41.730 --> 00:07:44.810 the Lord, is in your midst. You shall never again 00:07:44.810 --> 00:07:52.790 fear evil. And so what we have is we have a call 00:07:52.790 --> 00:07:57.079 to sing. That Zephaniah begins this section with 00:07:57.079 --> 00:07:59.680 what we call an imperative, right? Sing aloud, 00:08:00.019 --> 00:08:02.899 O daughter of Zion. Shout, O Israel. This is 00:08:02.899 --> 00:08:06.439 a command. It's not a suggestion. It's not, if 00:08:06.439 --> 00:08:09.079 you feel like it, right? Put your hands in the 00:08:09.079 --> 00:08:12.300 air or sing. No, this is a command that people 00:08:12.300 --> 00:08:16.399 are called to actively rejoice because of God's 00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:19.680 work of salvation. Here's a first question for 00:08:19.680 --> 00:08:22.959 you this morning. Outside of the 75 minutes we 00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:26.019 do on Sunday mornings, Here at Munster, for you, 00:08:26.120 --> 00:08:28.579 when other times in your life, in your days, 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:33.539 in your weeks, are you actively rejoicing, not 00:08:33.539 --> 00:08:35.620 because you got the thing at work, or not because 00:08:35.620 --> 00:08:37.639 of this thing that went well, or not because 00:08:37.639 --> 00:08:40.100 the Little League team won the game, or whatever, 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:47.779 but actively rejoicing in God's salvation? See, 00:08:47.799 --> 00:08:50.679 that question changes it, that last part. Because 00:08:50.679 --> 00:08:53.580 God's salvation is for everybody. Those of us 00:08:53.580 --> 00:08:55.799 that have tasted that salvation and are believers, 00:08:56.200 --> 00:09:00.399 we should be actively rejoicing that that neighbor 00:09:00.399 --> 00:09:04.620 you can't stand can be saved by Jesus. That family 00:09:04.620 --> 00:09:07.080 member you want nothing to do with can be saved 00:09:07.080 --> 00:09:10.960 by Jesus. That relationship that has been broken 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:14.080 and maybe broke you in the process, that person 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:17.600 can be saved by Jesus. And that is really the 00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:19.960 ultimate perspective. Not that you need to be 00:09:19.960 --> 00:09:24.620 the one to save them. But that your hope and 00:09:24.620 --> 00:09:30.259 your rejoice that they might become saved. So 00:09:30.259 --> 00:09:32.840 why is Israel called to sing aloud? Because of 00:09:32.840 --> 00:09:35.279 the victory God has won on their behalf. He's 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:37.960 taken away the judgments. The Lord has removed 00:09:37.960 --> 00:09:40.500 the sins and the oppression that plagued his 00:09:40.500 --> 00:09:43.820 people. The enemies were defeated. God's wrath 00:09:43.820 --> 00:09:46.659 against sin had been satisfied. So what kind 00:09:46.659 --> 00:09:52.100 of song is this? This isn't taps. Where we remember 00:09:52.100 --> 00:09:55.299 those that are fallen. Or what the military does 00:09:55.299 --> 00:09:57.379 at the end of their day. And their night vespers. 00:09:57.379 --> 00:10:00.799 Their evening vespers. This is a song of victory. 00:10:01.840 --> 00:10:05.179 Celebration of God's mercy and grace. When's 00:10:05.179 --> 00:10:08.059 the last time you celebrated God's grace in your 00:10:08.059 --> 00:10:11.039 life? Or God's mercy in your life? Or, if you're 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:14.960 like me, I don't really rejoice in that. I ask 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:16.360 for it more because I don't feel I'm getting 00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:21.360 enough. See how that perspective shifts? God, 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:23.639 you are already at work. You are doing something. 00:10:23.720 --> 00:10:26.220 No matter what my day looks like, no matter what 00:10:26.220 --> 00:10:29.580 my week looks like, you are at work. Do we understand 00:10:29.580 --> 00:10:33.799 that God has already dealt with sin? When we 00:10:33.799 --> 00:10:35.879 see the deliverance in Christ, we are called 00:10:35.879 --> 00:10:39.139 to rejoice. And rejoicing is not passive. It's 00:10:39.139 --> 00:10:43.419 an active thing. And for some of us, we kind 00:10:43.419 --> 00:10:46.620 of can just do it like, I rejoice in the salvation 00:10:46.620 --> 00:10:49.659 of the Lord. You say it like you have to go to 00:10:49.659 --> 00:10:53.600 Costco on a Saturday. That is something very 00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:57.679 different, right? That's almost impossible. Salvation 00:10:57.679 --> 00:11:01.960 is not. That we have that in Jesus. God's goodness 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:05.379 and salvation. We should be active through song 00:11:05.379 --> 00:11:09.480 and prayer, acts of service. One of the things 00:11:09.480 --> 00:11:11.240 I can't wait for this summer is we're going to 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:15.399 be laying plans with some new leadership to restart. 00:11:16.429 --> 00:11:19.769 Our prayer ministry here at Munster. You'll be 00:11:19.769 --> 00:11:21.669 hearing about that in the coming weeks. That 00:11:21.669 --> 00:11:23.710 that is something that has been. I know a lot 00:11:23.710 --> 00:11:25.330 of you have been praying. Some of you get together 00:11:25.330 --> 00:11:27.129 to pray. And that's phenomenal. But if you go 00:11:27.129 --> 00:11:29.309 back in the history of this church. You go back 00:11:29.309 --> 00:11:31.710 15, almost 20 years. There was a vibrant prayer 00:11:31.710 --> 00:11:34.070 ministry in this church. And shame on us for 00:11:34.070 --> 00:11:36.970 not having continued that. Because especially 00:11:36.970 --> 00:11:39.190 as we look to the horizon. For potentially some 00:11:39.190 --> 00:11:41.129 big things. We need to be laying the foundation 00:11:41.129 --> 00:11:44.389 of prayer. That we're going to have people trained 00:11:44.389 --> 00:11:46.629 on prayer this fall. We're going to have people 00:11:46.629 --> 00:11:49.289 that come in. The prayer shepherd of our denomination 00:11:49.289 --> 00:11:52.009 is going to come for a couple days and a couple 00:11:52.009 --> 00:11:55.149 classes virtually and in person to teach those 00:11:55.149 --> 00:11:58.450 that have the gift of prayer to be active in 00:11:58.450 --> 00:12:00.750 that. And I know there's at least a dozen of 00:12:00.750 --> 00:12:03.590 you that have talked about getting that started 00:12:03.590 --> 00:12:07.149 back up, so you better sign up. Because we need 00:12:07.149 --> 00:12:09.909 to be active in this. We have to be active because 00:12:09.909 --> 00:12:12.649 the Lord's presence is active. The Lord is active 00:12:12.649 --> 00:12:16.350 in our midst. This God, cosmic creator, is personal. 00:12:16.450 --> 00:12:18.529 Like I've said before, is closer to you than 00:12:18.529 --> 00:12:20.929 your two front teeth. So let's jump to verse 00:12:20.929 --> 00:12:25.289 16. God's presence in our midst. On that day, 00:12:25.350 --> 00:12:28.769 it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear not, O Zion. 00:12:29.399 --> 00:12:32.179 Let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God 00:12:32.179 --> 00:12:36.139 is in your midst, a mighty one who will save. 00:12:37.480 --> 00:12:40.399 He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:44.299 quiet you by his love. He will exalt over you 00:12:44.299 --> 00:12:48.820 with loud singing. There is a beautiful understanding 00:12:48.820 --> 00:12:52.019 of God at work in our midst. But what are we 00:12:52.019 --> 00:12:54.019 focusing on here? What does Zephaniah want us 00:12:54.019 --> 00:12:57.740 to see in this? That God is both our warrior 00:12:57.740 --> 00:13:02.080 and our shepherd. Well, that's interesting. Because 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:04.840 who does that sound like? A warrior and a shepherd. 00:13:05.639 --> 00:13:08.659 David. We see that through the Davidic line. 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:11.539 Warrior and shepherd from the beginning. Genesis 00:13:11.539 --> 00:13:14.679 all the way through to Jesus. It's lifted up. 00:13:15.340 --> 00:13:18.820 That we are called to be a calming presence. 00:13:19.019 --> 00:13:21.519 A shepherding voice to the world that is hurting. 00:13:21.659 --> 00:13:23.399 But we're also called to fight for the needs 00:13:23.399 --> 00:13:25.620 of the world. That's what I love about the two 00:13:25.620 --> 00:13:30.539 commissions, Matthew 25, Matthew 28. And I will 00:13:30.539 --> 00:13:33.759 always say, Matthew 28 is upheld with the foundation 00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:36.240 of Matthew 25. Pastor Jim, what in the world 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:39.220 are you talking about? Doing the tangible needs 00:13:39.220 --> 00:13:42.639 to meet the marginalized where they are, to love 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:45.720 them and serve them is a way, not in a bait and 00:13:45.720 --> 00:13:49.279 switch, but is a way that Jesus is at work in 00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:51.080 those relationships to bring that restoration. 00:13:53.200 --> 00:13:55.960 So Zephaniah shifts our focus. The Lord your 00:13:55.960 --> 00:14:00.580 God is in your midst, a mighty one to save. He's 00:14:00.580 --> 00:14:05.059 not distant. He's near. Think about that for 00:14:05.059 --> 00:14:08.580 a minute. That God is near to you. I know I say 00:14:08.580 --> 00:14:10.019 it in a fun way that he's closer to you than 00:14:10.019 --> 00:14:11.720 your two front teeth, and I guarantee you 80 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:14.940 % of you go like this or wipe your teeth with 00:14:14.940 --> 00:14:17.940 your tongue. It's weird. But understand that 00:14:17.940 --> 00:14:23.389 the God of the cosmos is near to you. I don't 00:14:23.389 --> 00:14:25.490 know about you, but I have to think, why me? 00:14:27.250 --> 00:14:31.509 Because he loves me. No, there are going to be 00:14:31.509 --> 00:14:35.309 times that my boys are going to frustrate Carrie 00:14:35.309 --> 00:14:38.809 and I. We never want them to think we're distant. 00:14:39.909 --> 00:14:41.750 Because to Carrie and I, I don't believe that's 00:14:41.750 --> 00:14:44.429 a good position for parents to have, that parents 00:14:44.429 --> 00:14:48.009 need to be near. One of the things we're growing 00:14:48.009 --> 00:14:50.049 in in our council, elders and deacons, that a 00:14:50.049 --> 00:14:52.309 council of a church needs to be near. Our ministry 00:14:52.309 --> 00:14:54.509 committees and all that need to be near to the 00:14:54.509 --> 00:14:56.970 people. Because when you're not, it's just ivory 00:14:56.970 --> 00:15:00.490 tower leadership then. And that's not good. Because 00:15:00.490 --> 00:15:02.389 that's not close to anybody. There's an intimacy. 00:15:02.629 --> 00:15:04.809 There's a one -on -one aspect and relationship 00:15:04.809 --> 00:15:09.129 that God has with his people. And not only is 00:15:09.129 --> 00:15:13.220 God near, he's mighty to save. How can we understand 00:15:13.220 --> 00:15:15.179 that kind of more in the Hebrew? It's that he's 00:15:15.179 --> 00:15:17.840 looking for the opportunity to save you. That 00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:21.039 you are on the agenda for God's love. Have you 00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:23.419 ever thought about that? For God so loved the 00:15:23.419 --> 00:15:27.600 world, he gave his one and only son. There's 00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:32.000 intentionality. Yet this warrior is also a gentle 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:36.779 shepherd. He rejoices over you with gladness. 00:15:36.799 --> 00:15:41.460 He quiets you. By love, this juxtaposition of 00:15:41.460 --> 00:15:44.440 God's might and tenderness really reveals his 00:15:44.440 --> 00:15:48.120 character. He's strong enough to fight for us 00:15:48.120 --> 00:15:51.659 and tender enough to walk us through those hard 00:15:51.659 --> 00:15:55.039 moments of life. And we all know people, even 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:57.320 in this sanctuary, that are walking through hard 00:15:57.320 --> 00:16:01.440 aspects of life. A God that is willing and able 00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:05.480 and does conquer death itself is also near to 00:16:05.480 --> 00:16:09.139 you. This is a God that we are called to rejoice 00:16:09.139 --> 00:16:12.480 in. I think that's worthy of a song or two, isn't 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:15.960 it? That he is near to us, fighting our battles. 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:22.620 He delights in us. Because really, kind of the 00:16:22.620 --> 00:16:25.980 end game for all of this, and this is going to 00:16:25.980 --> 00:16:32.940 sting, is joy. J -O -Y. It is a gift of the Spirit. 00:16:33.639 --> 00:16:38.120 It is a place believers should be. That if we 00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:40.059 think of all these things that God has done for 00:16:40.059 --> 00:16:43.799 us, we should have joy even in the midst of sadness. 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:47.299 Now that doesn't mean you have to laugh at a 00:16:47.299 --> 00:16:50.519 funeral, right? But understand that as believers, 00:16:50.600 --> 00:16:55.519 our joy should be a perspective. Yet it's probably 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:58.559 one of the number one things that people don't 00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:03.519 do as believers. That is, we live this life imperfectly 00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:06.490 and just doing our best. People should see joy. 00:17:06.670 --> 00:17:08.650 Because I guarantee you, that will throw the 00:17:08.650 --> 00:17:13.089 world. What do you mean you have joy in the circumstances 00:17:13.089 --> 00:17:15.490 you find yourself? How in the world can you have 00:17:15.490 --> 00:17:20.250 joy in what you're going through? Because all 00:17:20.250 --> 00:17:22.970 this has been accomplished. And we know we're 00:17:22.970 --> 00:17:24.789 not living for this minute. We're not living 00:17:24.789 --> 00:17:28.950 for today. His presence is a source of peace 00:17:28.950 --> 00:17:32.170 and joy. Just as Zephaniah called Israel to rejoice 00:17:32.170 --> 00:17:35.069 in God's presence, we too can find joy in the 00:17:35.069 --> 00:17:37.930 fact that God is with us, fighting for us, but 00:17:37.930 --> 00:17:44.049 also caring for us. So restoration comes, there's 00:17:44.049 --> 00:17:46.250 an end game to restoration. It's bringing what 00:17:46.250 --> 00:17:53.700 was once broken now to fullness. Mike Togman 00:17:53.700 --> 00:17:57.119 is really the longest church relationship that 00:17:57.119 --> 00:17:58.740 I have. I'm going off script. You're going to 00:17:58.740 --> 00:18:02.299 hate it, but I don't care. Mike and I don't always 00:18:02.299 --> 00:18:05.059 agree on everything. There are times we'll sit 00:18:05.059 --> 00:18:08.359 in the office and we will debate. It would be 00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:09.960 a lot of fun for people to watch because the 00:18:09.960 --> 00:18:12.619 amount of rabbit trails is unbelievable. But 00:18:12.619 --> 00:18:16.160 at the end of the day, Mike and I love each other. 00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:20.990 We have an intimacy that even if... We disagree. 00:18:21.089 --> 00:18:24.410 Even if there's conflict, I know that I know 00:18:24.410 --> 00:18:26.170 that I know, and Mike knows that he knows that 00:18:26.170 --> 00:18:28.569 he knows, the next day or two days, depending 00:18:28.569 --> 00:18:31.509 on how mad you made me, is that we will come 00:18:31.509 --> 00:18:36.190 back together and we will find fullness to restoration. 00:18:36.869 --> 00:18:38.650 Now I'm going to put you on the spot. Would you 00:18:38.650 --> 00:18:41.890 agree? Absolutely. I didn't even tell him to 00:18:41.890 --> 00:18:43.630 say yes or we would have had conflict and it 00:18:43.630 --> 00:18:45.230 would have taken two days because the office 00:18:45.230 --> 00:18:46.769 is closed tomorrow. We would have got to restoration 00:18:46.769 --> 00:18:50.940 on Tuesday. But it's a goal. of our relationship, 00:18:51.079 --> 00:18:53.500 and half of you right now don't like that. Not 00:18:53.500 --> 00:18:55.960 because it's Mike and I, but you don't want to 00:18:55.960 --> 00:18:59.640 have the goal of restoration. At the end of the 00:18:59.640 --> 00:19:03.220 day, you like to have your little ledger. Oh, 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:05.579 I want that pound of flesh from them. I want, 00:19:05.619 --> 00:19:08.039 oh, just two ounces of flesh from them. Oh, only 00:19:08.039 --> 00:19:13.259 one ounce for them. No. You cannot know joy if 00:19:13.259 --> 00:19:16.740 that is how you function in your relationships. 00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:19.880 You can't. But what Zephaniah is telling us is 00:19:19.880 --> 00:19:22.220 there's a fullness to restoration. Let's dive 00:19:22.220 --> 00:19:27.240 in to verse 18. That 18 says, I will gather those 00:19:27.240 --> 00:19:30.480 of you who mourn for the festival so that you 00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:34.079 will no longer suffer reproach. Behold, at that 00:19:34.079 --> 00:19:37.099 time I will deal with your oppressors. I will 00:19:37.099 --> 00:19:39.680 save the lame and gather the outcasts. I will 00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:42.180 change their shame into praise and renown in 00:19:42.180 --> 00:19:45.640 all the earth. At that time I will bring you 00:19:45.640 --> 00:19:48.279 in. At that time I will gather you together. 00:19:48.420 --> 00:19:51.099 For I will make you renowned and praised among 00:19:51.099 --> 00:19:54.059 all the peoples of the earth. When I restore 00:19:54.059 --> 00:19:58.359 your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord. 00:20:02.859 --> 00:20:07.220 God promises to gather those who mourn and deal 00:20:07.220 --> 00:20:10.259 with the oppressors. The shame of his people 00:20:10.259 --> 00:20:12.640 will be removed and the brokenness of sin and 00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:15.660 exile will be healed. He will restore his people, 00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:18.920 not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally. 00:20:19.079 --> 00:20:22.980 This is a picture of complete healing and restoration. 00:20:23.259 --> 00:20:27.259 And 99 % of us, in a statistic I just made up, 00:20:27.339 --> 00:20:31.200 but I think is true, we struggle to get there. 00:20:33.319 --> 00:20:36.460 We struggle to get there because of our sin. 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:39.779 We struggle to get there because we have been 00:20:39.779 --> 00:20:43.960 hurt. Hurt people hurt people. All of those systems 00:20:43.960 --> 00:20:47.539 that we live in and live among, at the end of 00:20:47.539 --> 00:20:52.539 the day, we like to remember and hold. Even after 00:20:52.539 --> 00:20:55.380 we've forgiven, we like to tack that back on 00:20:55.380 --> 00:20:57.420 to another relationship or another conflict, 00:20:57.480 --> 00:21:01.059 potentially even with that same person. Friend, 00:21:01.160 --> 00:21:04.779 that is not... Restoration. That is just delayed 00:21:04.779 --> 00:21:09.319 conflict. That is just delayed wanting your pound 00:21:09.319 --> 00:21:12.519 of flesh. That is just vengeance at that point, 00:21:12.579 --> 00:21:16.000 not restoration. The ultimate restoration is 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:18.220 not just historical in what we're getting from 00:21:18.220 --> 00:21:20.900 Zephaniah. It's not just eschological pointing 00:21:20.900 --> 00:21:23.240 to the future of God's promise, which we learned 00:21:23.240 --> 00:21:25.980 in Revelation. God will bring his people into 00:21:25.980 --> 00:21:29.460 the fullness of what? His glory. How in the world 00:21:29.460 --> 00:21:33.059 can you sit in God's glory and not be restored 00:21:33.059 --> 00:21:38.170 and not have joy? Friends, I've got to tell you, 00:21:38.210 --> 00:21:40.950 I think there are some of you that are going 00:21:40.950 --> 00:21:46.230 to complain about the menu in heaven. Right? 00:21:46.309 --> 00:21:48.670 Or there are some of you that are going to eat 00:21:48.670 --> 00:21:51.609 the perch up there and go, this isn't like Teebles. 00:21:54.150 --> 00:21:56.490 I don't know if you can get kicked out of heaven. 00:21:56.589 --> 00:22:00.650 That might be one way to do it. But think about 00:22:00.650 --> 00:22:06.809 that. Think about it. My room in heaven. It's 00:22:06.809 --> 00:22:10.650 just not the right temperature. This is just 00:22:10.650 --> 00:22:17.690 coming to you now. If it's really hot, I'm just 00:22:17.690 --> 00:22:24.390 going to leave it there. It means you're in hell. 00:22:24.509 --> 00:22:26.049 That's exactly what it means, right? If it's 00:22:26.049 --> 00:22:28.009 too hot. In case some of you are like, what is 00:22:28.009 --> 00:22:32.109 wrong with him? Don't ask that question. But 00:22:32.109 --> 00:22:34.819 understand that I think... some of us are going 00:22:34.819 --> 00:22:40.900 to sit in God's glory and complain. How? If you're 00:22:40.900 --> 00:22:43.940 fully restored and have the joy of God in your 00:22:43.940 --> 00:22:47.920 life, how can we complain? Because the future 00:22:47.920 --> 00:22:51.880 glory is about God's kingdom, not yours. In verse 00:22:51.880 --> 00:22:54.740 20, God says, I will bring you in. At that time, 00:22:54.759 --> 00:22:56.839 I will gather you together. This speaks of the 00:22:56.839 --> 00:22:59.019 future time that God will gather his people, 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:03.660 remove their shame, and fully restore. This is 00:23:03.660 --> 00:23:05.380 a promise of the new heavens and the new earth 00:23:05.380 --> 00:23:07.200 where God has dwelt with his people forever. 00:23:07.400 --> 00:23:10.240 The future glory is the ultimate hope of a believer. 00:23:11.140 --> 00:23:14.500 Because let's be honest. If all it is is living 00:23:14.500 --> 00:23:17.299 for today and that's all we had to pin our hopes 00:23:17.299 --> 00:23:21.359 on, is it worth it? Probably not. Actually, not 00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:25.200 probably. It's not. But the future glory we have, 00:23:25.400 --> 00:23:28.880 that hope we have, is not just a spiritual reality 00:23:28.880 --> 00:23:31.829 but a physical one as well. That God's kingdom 00:23:31.829 --> 00:23:35.369 will come in all its fullness. The promise is 00:23:35.369 --> 00:23:38.349 one that sustains us as we live in the already 00:23:38.349 --> 00:23:41.710 but not yet of God's kingdom. And here's the 00:23:41.710 --> 00:23:46.470 final slap this Memorial Day weekend. That you've 00:23:46.470 --> 00:23:48.190 heard me say before, and I'll say it again. When 00:23:48.190 --> 00:23:50.569 we pray, God's kingdom come, God will be done 00:23:50.569 --> 00:23:52.650 on earth as it is in heaven. Where is that? The 00:23:52.650 --> 00:23:55.750 Lord's prayer. One of the things we have to understand 00:23:55.750 --> 00:23:59.009 is we may be the kingdom of God that someone 00:23:59.009 --> 00:24:02.630 experiences. Allow the conviction, the uncomfortableness, 00:24:02.730 --> 00:24:06.109 and the awkwardness to set in. You may be the 00:24:06.109 --> 00:24:11.329 kingdom experience for somebody else. What does 00:24:11.329 --> 00:24:13.549 that look like if you don't have restoration 00:24:13.549 --> 00:24:16.730 in your life and you don't have joy? What kind 00:24:16.730 --> 00:24:20.369 of billboard for the kingdom of God are you if 00:24:20.369 --> 00:24:22.029 it's, oh no, that person's just going to hurt 00:24:22.029 --> 00:24:23.990 you again? Ooh, I'm going to hold on to that 00:24:23.990 --> 00:24:25.829 for when I inevitably, I'm going to throw back 00:24:25.829 --> 00:24:28.529 at them. Or I just can't get to joy because life 00:24:28.529 --> 00:24:30.930 just stinks, everything else stinks, the socks 00:24:30.930 --> 00:24:36.170 stink, whatever it is. What kind of billboard 00:24:36.170 --> 00:24:39.230 for God are you? Because that's another way of 00:24:39.230 --> 00:24:41.269 saying, what kind of kingdom are you bringing 00:24:41.269 --> 00:24:44.349 to the world? Is it a kingdom of self or is it 00:24:44.349 --> 00:24:47.990 a kingdom of the Savior? That's why we are called 00:24:47.990 --> 00:24:52.170 to sing. Now I'm not saying sing and minimize 00:24:52.170 --> 00:24:55.089 your pain. I'm not saying be honest with those 00:24:55.089 --> 00:24:57.309 that have hurt you or be honest with the ones 00:24:57.309 --> 00:25:00.210 you have hurt. But we are called to rejoice. 00:25:01.309 --> 00:25:04.410 This future glory can now be experienced today 00:25:04.410 --> 00:25:09.369 through singing amidst our suffering. Just as 00:25:09.369 --> 00:25:11.210 Israel is called to sing in the midst of exile 00:25:11.210 --> 00:25:13.589 and oppression, we are called to sing in the 00:25:13.589 --> 00:25:16.289 midst of our suffering. That joy thing we talked 00:25:16.289 --> 00:25:20.329 about? Our joy is not based on our circumstances, 00:25:20.410 --> 00:25:23.890 but on the unchanging truth that God has already 00:25:23.890 --> 00:25:29.289 secured for you the victory in Christ. This means 00:25:29.289 --> 00:25:32.130 we should sing aloud when life is hard because 00:25:32.130 --> 00:25:35.529 we know God's restoration is certain. We know 00:25:35.529 --> 00:25:39.029 that God's restoration for us is personal. It's 00:25:39.029 --> 00:25:42.029 not this ivory tower, just be fine, just be fine. 00:25:42.450 --> 00:25:46.569 No, it's I see you. Let's walk this together. 00:25:47.230 --> 00:25:49.410 Zephaniah's vision for restoration is not just 00:25:49.410 --> 00:25:53.309 a corporate one, but a deeply personal one. God 00:25:53.309 --> 00:25:56.829 promises to heal you and restore you. Do you 00:25:56.829 --> 00:25:59.890 believe it? His love for his people is not in 00:25:59.890 --> 00:26:03.849 the abstract. It's deeply relational. Take a 00:26:03.849 --> 00:26:07.089 moment this week. Take a moment tomorrow. Reflect 00:26:07.089 --> 00:26:10.289 on how God has personally restored you. The relationships 00:26:10.289 --> 00:26:12.509 that he's brought to your life. The goodness 00:26:12.509 --> 00:26:14.029 that he's brought to your life. And don't try 00:26:14.029 --> 00:26:18.049 to tie your own things to it. Money, finances, 00:26:18.130 --> 00:26:24.809 relationships, all of those things. What areas 00:26:24.809 --> 00:26:28.609 of your life has he healed? For some of us, for 00:26:28.609 --> 00:26:32.750 new believers, it's, I'm saved. My name's written 00:26:32.750 --> 00:26:35.710 in the book of life. I no longer have to worry 00:26:35.710 --> 00:26:38.829 about today, but I've been given a way to live. 00:26:41.269 --> 00:26:43.170 It's a beautiful thing about the joy of God. 00:26:43.650 --> 00:26:45.950 And how can we express that gratitude and joy? 00:26:46.889 --> 00:26:50.609 Actively, not passively. All right, final, what 00:26:50.609 --> 00:26:53.630 is Zephaniah saying then and now? This one's 00:26:53.630 --> 00:26:55.809 a little longer, but there will be a little snippet 00:26:55.809 --> 00:26:58.210 of the then and the now on the slides. For Israel, 00:26:58.390 --> 00:27:02.230 this is then. Zephaniah's message was both sobering 00:27:02.230 --> 00:27:05.250 and hopeful. In the midst of their judgment and 00:27:05.250 --> 00:27:09.009 exile, he proclaimed that God would restore them, 00:27:09.150 --> 00:27:11.690 remove their shame. and be present with them. 00:27:11.789 --> 00:27:14.690 The call to sing aloud was a command to rejoice 00:27:14.690 --> 00:27:18.369 in the promise of God's salvation, even before 00:27:18.369 --> 00:27:20.549 it was realized. But friends, here's the part. 00:27:21.069 --> 00:27:24.410 Despite their suffering, Israel was reminded 00:27:24.410 --> 00:27:27.509 that God's restoration was coming, and that they 00:27:27.509 --> 00:27:34.509 were to respond with joyful faith. All right, 00:27:34.509 --> 00:27:37.049 so let's take it to the now. For us today, Zephaniah's 00:27:37.049 --> 00:27:39.500 message is still relevant. We don't just face 00:27:39.500 --> 00:27:44.980 the physical exile that Israel did, but we still 00:27:44.980 --> 00:27:47.619 live in a broken world. And we await the final 00:27:47.619 --> 00:27:50.599 restoration promised in Jesus. The call to sing 00:27:50.599 --> 00:27:53.359 aloud still stands. We rejoice in the salvation 00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:58.140 Christ has secured for me, for you, for us. And 00:27:58.140 --> 00:28:01.079 friend, though we face struggles, even death, 00:28:01.339 --> 00:28:04.680 we can celebrate because God's presence is with 00:28:04.680 --> 00:28:09.279 us now. and our future glory is assured. But 00:28:09.279 --> 00:28:12.460 here's the point. Like Israel, we are called 00:28:12.460 --> 00:28:15.019 to rejoice in the certainty of God's promises, 00:28:15.160 --> 00:28:20.420 even as we wait to the fulfillment done by him, 00:28:20.599 --> 00:28:24.779 not by us. All right, it's the end of a sermon 00:28:24.779 --> 00:28:27.160 series. So here's a wrap -up and a conclusion. 00:28:27.819 --> 00:28:30.059 And because Zephaniah did it every week, I feel 00:28:30.059 --> 00:28:32.299 like I could do it too. A challenge for the summer. 00:28:33.740 --> 00:28:37.259 As we conclude our Hidden Treasures series, we 00:28:37.259 --> 00:28:40.500 reflect on the profound message that God is a 00:28:40.500 --> 00:28:44.160 God of restoration. Throughout Zephaniah, we've 00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:46.720 seen that God's judgment is not only real, but 00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:50.779 his mercy and grace is even more powerful. His 00:28:50.779 --> 00:28:52.900 call to his people to sing aloud is a response 00:28:52.900 --> 00:28:56.900 of the restoration he solely can bring. He has 00:28:56.900 --> 00:28:59.160 dealt with our sin, he's defeated our enemies, 00:28:59.359 --> 00:29:03.670 and is with us every moment. So friend, this 00:29:03.670 --> 00:29:08.490 summer and every day, every season, let us live 00:29:08.490 --> 00:29:11.609 in the joy of God's restoration. Whether we find 00:29:11.609 --> 00:29:14.670 ourselves in seasons of rest or struggle, we 00:29:14.670 --> 00:29:18.269 are called to what? Sing aloud. Let the song 00:29:18.269 --> 00:29:21.529 of redemption live loud in your heart and in 00:29:21.529 --> 00:29:24.170 your life. And if you are so bold, even out of 00:29:24.170 --> 00:29:28.420 your mouth. Let the world hear of the joy that 00:29:28.420 --> 00:29:31.400 comes with God's salvation. And here's the challenge 00:29:31.400 --> 00:29:34.299 for all of us to see where God has us at the 00:29:34.299 --> 00:29:38.240 end of the summer, end of the fall. As you go 00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:41.779 into the summer, let your life be a song of joy. 00:29:42.700 --> 00:29:45.319 Take time to reflect on God's restoration in 00:29:45.319 --> 00:29:48.220 your life and let it lead you to sing aloud. 00:29:49.460 --> 00:29:52.859 Whether in personal worship, acts of kindness, 00:29:53.710 --> 00:29:56.970 Or sharing the gospel with others. Let the joy 00:29:56.970 --> 00:30:00.250 of God's restoration overflow in your life. As 00:30:00.250 --> 00:30:03.170 we await the fullness of God's kingdom, let us 00:30:03.170 --> 00:30:05.750 share the hope and joy that we have around us. 00:30:06.250 --> 00:30:09.410 And here's that final challenge. And let's start 00:30:09.410 --> 00:30:13.630 meeting with each other to experience it. One 00:30:13.630 --> 00:30:15.170 of the things you're going to hear over this 00:30:15.170 --> 00:30:19.799 summer into the fall is a desire. from your church 00:30:19.799 --> 00:30:22.000 leadership, myself, elders, deacons, all that, 00:30:22.079 --> 00:30:24.460 that we would become more and more intentional 00:30:24.460 --> 00:30:29.240 to meet together. One of the reasons why we're 00:30:29.240 --> 00:30:31.160 going to till this soil is for when we get to 00:30:31.160 --> 00:30:33.140 the Church of Acts, or the Book of Acts, Earth, 00:30:33.220 --> 00:30:35.859 Wind, and Fire starting Labor Day weekend, we're 00:30:35.859 --> 00:30:39.539 going to see the church mobile. And though we 00:30:39.539 --> 00:30:41.160 all are mobile and we come here, no one here 00:30:41.160 --> 00:30:43.319 lives here, and it just comes up from the basement 00:30:43.319 --> 00:30:45.700 on Sunday mornings, we all are mobile here. It's 00:30:45.700 --> 00:30:49.740 not about this. It's about going on the highways 00:30:49.740 --> 00:30:51.640 and the byways to the end of the earth. Whether 00:30:51.640 --> 00:30:53.839 it's the farm, the kitchen table, the mission 00:30:53.839 --> 00:30:57.859 table, what have you. That we come together as 00:30:57.859 --> 00:31:00.680 the church. Because what God brings together, 00:31:00.819 --> 00:31:06.259 he then sends. That we are a sent people. So 00:31:06.259 --> 00:31:09.180 as you reflect this summer on the joy of your 00:31:09.180 --> 00:31:11.539 salvation, know that it's something that we can 00:31:11.539 --> 00:31:15.119 rejoice and celebrate together in a church that 00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:18.519 goes out. But more on that in a couple weeks. 00:31:18.940 --> 00:31:19.400 Let's pray.